Chapter 20 - The Cabin (3)

He was scary.

"Have you already forgotten you don't heal properly?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Or did killing that mushroom make you cocky?"

"No, sir. I'm sorry."

"Ric." Ami, who stood beside Riccardo, gave his clothes a long tug. His green eyes rolled over to meet hers.

"Hilde knows he was wrong. Don't be too hard on him."

My senior raised his eyebrows. I lowered my eyes again after venturing a brief look up, fixing them on the smooth floor. The spotless floor of my training officer's house... I was sitting on the sofa in Yun and Ami's home.

My injured arm was neatly bandaged. My cabin had been smashed to pieces, so I couldn't go back there.

My cabin... We'd had a lovely week together...

"No, seriously... What were you thinking? Can't you believe our wounds heal right away? Or do you keep forgetting yours don't?"

"It's all right." Having failed to soothe Riccardo's anger, Ami turned her attention to me. She rested a hand on my shoulder as I sat stiffly on the sofa like a condemned traitor. "He's just worried about you."

"Coddle him from day one and you'll spoil him... Do you want him throwing himself in without thinking every time another Badger is in danger out there?"

"He won't do it again. Will you, Hilde?"

I nodded vigorously and added, "I'll keep my wits about me."

Riccardo's eyes narrowed. In a bad mood, he was downright terrifying. I tried not to avert my eyes from his cold stare. After scrutinizing me with that murderous gaze, my senior spoke.

"Don't do it again."

I answered his icy words immediately. "Yes, sir."

"A greenhorn who's never even fought in a land-reclamation campaign, trying to shield someone... The only people you should be shielding right now are civilians."

"Yes, sir. I'll remember that."

"You're lucky it went into your arm. In the wrong place, that stab wound would have made you suffer for a long time. I would have been fine wherever it hit..."

"I didn't think it through."

"And why did you pull it out?"

I'd moved so instinctively that even I couldn't explain myself. But I'd be in serious trouble if I answered that way. I replied respectfully, "I'm sorry."

He let out a sigh. Reading the mood, I kept my head bowed and felt Ami's small hand patting my shoulder. I pressed my lips into a line and sat quietly.

The cool air left by the rain settled over the living room. Footsteps broke the silence.

"Why don't you say something too, sir?" Riccardo turned his gaze toward Yun, who had suddenly reappeared in the living room. My training officer, who had disappeared into the basement with a pair of the butterfly creature's wings, turned his head. As Yun raised his eyebrows, Riccardo added, "You are his training officer, after all..."

Yun regarded us quietly, then approached the sofa. I lifted my bowed head to watch him coming. While Ami treated me and Riccardo scolded me, he seemed to have dealt with the aftermath involving the cabin, the Lamborghini, and everything else.

"The wound?"

"It's not serious, but I think Samuel should take a look." Ami answered his dry question.

Yun gave a brief nod, then fixed his piercing gaze on me. Those flat, unreadable eyes. In a monotone, he announced, "You're sleeping here tonight."

"No, that's all right." The instant he said what I hadn't even wanted to contemplate, I sprang halfway up in alarm.

Riccardo pressed down on my shoulder, seating me again. It seemed like a light touch, but his grip was heavy. I had no choice but to sink obediently back onto the sofa.

Yun spoke in his usual dry voice. "Yehyeon isn't coming home tonight anyway. I'll put you in the Badger dorms tomorrow, so sleep in the guest room tonight."

"But..."

"Exactly! I'll make you cheesy shrimp-ball tteokbokki! Do you know cheesy shrimp-ball tteokbokki, Hilde?"

What was cheesy shrimp-ball tteokbokki? I stared blankly into Ami's round eyes.

"... No. I've never heard of it. Maybe it's because I've lost most of my memories..."

"Don't fall for it. There's no such dish," Yun said firmly.

Riccardo gave a little snort. I couldn't tell exactly which part he found funny.

Everyone was gathered around the sofa in the spacious living room. My training officer moved closer and tossed down the black bag he was holding. I looked at it as it landed on the seat beside me. It had some heft; there seemed to be something solid inside.

Ami and Riccardo also turned to look at the bag. Only Yun kept his eyes on me.

"You know, you..."

Me? I turned my head and caught sight of the faint smile on Yun's lips. Holy shit. This was the first time I'd seen a positive(?) emotion on his face. I gazed blankly up at my training officer's nasty-looking smile.

"... Yes?"

"I don't think you were an ordinary civilian." Yun indicated the black bag with his chin.

After staring stupidly at him, I carefully felt the black bag with my good hand. I could make out the shape of its contents through the PVC. It was familiar. Anyone would have recognized it easily.

A kitchen knife.

"Every now and then, you're far too skilled with a weapon." Yun gave a low chuckle as he spoke. "As though your body is used to it."

"I am?" He nodded at my question. My expression must have grown even more vacant.

What? Had I actually been a Badger, then? That would make having an enhanced body make a little more sense. I still didn't know why I healed so poorly... But anyway, I'd originally been a super-powerful Badger, then some incident had wiped my memories and sent me flying into the future.

Some sort of fantasy-novel premise like that...?

No. Hang on, though.

"Would someone like that get beaten up by a mushroom thirty-four times?"

"Most of the time, you're a useless piece of trash."

That was harsh.

"Anyway, let's watch you for a while. You're certainly a subject worth studying in more ways than one. Any questions? If not, go wash up."

"I have one." The answer came out reflexively.

Everyone looked at me. I met my training officer's eyes as he raised his eyebrows slightly. I'd been mulling this over the whole time, from when Ami had expertly treated my arm to when Riccardo was scolding me.

It was an awkward question to ask. But too many things kept nagging at me to leave it unasked...

I steeled myself and spoke. "Um, doesn't it seem like the creatures only attack me?"

Silence fell. So I hadn't imagined it. This heavy silence wasn't the kind that meant, What is he talking about? It was the kind that fell when someone voiced something everyone had been trying to hide. I bit down on my lip.

Yun broke the heavy silence. "A little, yes."

This was driving me crazy.

"There is a pattern. Judging by the mushroom and the shark, not every creature does it. Generally, it's the higher-level ones, and the ones that seem to have come in from outside... What are you doing?"

"Making a phone call."

I found the entry labeled "Lee Yehyeon_Private Number" in my contacts and tapped it. I brought the phone to my ear. It began ringing, a plain, monotonous ringback tone without any music.

Ami tilted her head and asked, "Who are you calling?" I turned to answer, but the ringing stopped. A husky voice came through.

["Hilde?"]

"Commander." At my solemn address, shock flashed across the faces of everyone standing around me.

But I ignored their expressions. There was something I truly wanted to tell the commander-in-chief. Even if Riccardo and Yun beat the shit out of me afterward—A rookie calling him directly? Have you got no sense?—I felt I had to say this to Yehyeon.

He might only have been saying it, but hadn't he told me not to hesitate to call if I had something to say?

I spoke earnestly. "There's something I'd like to tell you."

["Yes. What is it?"]

"Did you know that creatures are drawn to me?"

There was a brief silence.

["They do show that tendency. Did you call to tell me that?"]

"Please remove and dispose of my enhanced body."

Ami's jaw dropped. Riccardo squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his thumb repeatedly between his brows. Yun narrowed his eyes and scrutinized my face.

Silence descended. The person on the other end of the phone had fallen silent again too. Undeterred by their reactions, I explained exactly what I meant.

"I don't heal properly either, do I?"

["... And?"]

"That alone will make me a burden to the other Badgers. And on top of that, I attract creatures? I couldn't be more of a ticking bomb."

I was also an illegitimate hire who'd gotten in through connections. I had a premonition that all these inexplicable traits of mine would someday hurt someone. It was ominous, yet strangely certain.

It wasn't as though I couldn't imagine what might go wrong. Someone might get hurt trying to protect me because I didn't heal properly, or a creature charging in to kill me might cause trouble.

"Commander. I'm only an outsider who turned up out of nowhere. Please remove and dispose of my enhanced body before something goes wrong."

The living room fell silent as well. Yehyeon said nothing on the other end of the phone. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my arm, I waited for his decision with a heavy heart. I could tell my seniors were quietly waiting for their superior's decision too.

After a moment, the cool voice of the Black Badgers' highest authority came through. ["No."]

"... No, sir?"

["You're under my command now. What happens to you is ultimately my decision."]

His voice was authoritative as he continued. ["Hilde. I understand why you're arguing for this, and your reasoning is valid. But that doesn't change my decision. You're my subordinate, so you will abide by it. From now on, put those thoughts aside and focus on your training."]

"... Yes, Commander. I overstepped. I'm sorry."

["You'll do well in the end."] Yehyeon's voice softened at once, its authority and coldness melting away like snow.

["For now, I know more than you do. Trust me and follow my lead."]

"Yes, sir. I will."

["Good. Who's with you right now? Are you alone?"]

"Oh, no. Yun, Riccardo, and Ami are here with me."

["You called this number with Yun right beside you?"] Yehyeon suddenly burst out laughing.

Why was he laughing? As I faltered in confusion, my still-laughing superior gave me a gentle instruction. ["Put me on speaker."]

I quickly pressed the speakerphone button and turned the screen toward my seniors. Riccardo gave a crooked smile at the screen, and Ami brightened with a cry of "Yehyeon!"

Yun slipped one hand into his pocket and looked at the phone. "This little shit is hilarious."

"I'm sorry. I just felt this urge to tell him, no matter what..."

"He really is something... Actually thinking to call the commander-in-chief's private number. What a bold rookie..."

["That's how afraid he was of becoming a burden to others. It's all right. Anyway, what happened to the cabin?"]

"Smashed to bits," Ami said casually. They seemed to be speaking freely with Yehyeon because this was his private number. "There's nothing left of Hilde's cabin."

["So it happened after all? Hilde. Stay at our house tonight."]

Ahhh, so it had come to this after all... But I couldn't possibly bring myself to refuse under the circumstances. I squeezed my eyes shut and answered, "Yes, Commander. Thank you."

["I won't be coming home, so don't worry. And Yun, you heard the gist, didn't you? These are the things he's worrying about, so make sure he doesn't get any more foolish ideas. Train him properly from now on. If training him really is too much trouble, hand him over to another, more sensible Badger."]

"Why would I hand him over? He's a research subject I need to keep close and observe." A subtle note of enjoyment colored my training officer's reply.

My eyes flew open. I jerked my head up to look at him just as Ami and Riccardo turned toward him. We stared blankly at the tall, handsome man standing in the living room. A man whose emotions were ordinarily so absent it was uncanny. He was looking at the phone with the faintest smile.

"I wouldn't hand him over no matter who told me to. Don't worry about that."

["... Oh. That wasn't the direction I intended."] Yehyeon murmured after a moment's silence. He gave a quiet hum, then addressed my green-eyed senior.

["Sordi. Could you keep an eye on Yun? Make sure he doesn't dissect the rookie."]

"Hmm. I'd lose if it came to a fight with Yun..."

"But I'll try," Riccardo replied lazily. "I'll keep a close eye on him too!" Ami added cheerfully. I stared at them in disbelief, recalling my training officer's earlier words as they echoed through my head.

["I'll have to open things up when I have time."] Open things up, open things up, open things up...

Open what up? And why had the word "dissect" come up? Dissect? What? Me?

I sat there in shock for a long time. Until Yehyeon commended my seniors for their work killing the creature and hung up, saying he had to go. Until Ami dashed into the kitchen after the call, saying she'd make that oddly named tteokbokki. Until Riccardo drawled, "I'll have to train harder if I'm going to stop you," and Yun coolly replied, "You're welcome to try."

I sat on the sofa, having forgotten how to move.